Budget/DIY darkroom sink options?

[Neil Poulsen]

I've had the 48" version of this sink for decades, and it still works great. You can get it with a frame, but I built my own using plywood and 2x4's that has drying racks, storage space, etc.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/15748-REG/Delta_64720_The_Sink_II_ABS.html

Highly recommended.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Hi, did you just use the rustoleum primer and topside paint, or spar as first coat to seal it?

Rustoleum oil-base marine primer and then gloss white topside paint. I first faired the inside corners of the sink after priming with marine epoxy.

The sink needed occasional repainting in spots, e.g., if a crack developed or if I got fed up with looking at the PMK stains. A quick sand, re-prime and paint over the area that needed it did the job. Repainting the whole sink would be fairly easy too, but it hasn't needed that. Ten years now and going strong.

Doremus

 

[ic-racer]

Essentially no "Darkroom" sink. Just a utility sink. I have been doing printing on a conventional counter top since the 1970s. I'm very space limited; I can't forfeit the counter space for a "Darkroom" style sink. Plus, the counter top will accept huge trays, since they don't need to fit "inside" and can hang over the edge.

 

[MTGseattle]

I like this. As much as I want to build my own custom monstrosity, I can really see the practicality of a countertop. I can't recall seeing white laminate off the shelf recently, just horrible faux granite patterns.

 

[drew tanner]

Here’s another inexpensive approach. For my darkgarage sink, I converted a homemade 7-foot workbench by adding sidewalls from leftover 1x6 lumber, drilling an hole for a drain, and lining it with PVC shower pan liner. The exposed wood was painted with some leftover porch paint. The oak corner trim covers where the PVC liner is stapled along the upper edge and was finished with some leftover spar urethane from another project. My thinking is that if the liner needs to be replaced, I can remove the corner trim, pull the staples and drain, and replace the PVC liner. My cost for the liner, trim, and drain was just under $100. I later added a couple of shelves on the left side of the backsplash and picked up some plastic grid and PVC lattice strips to make a sort of inexpensive duckboard along the bottom.

 

[MTGseattle]

Nice Drew. As long as there are no sharp object incidents, that shower pan liner should hold up just fine.

 

[drew tanner]

Nice Drew. As long as there are no sharp object incidents, that shower pan liner should hold up just fine.

Thanks. I generally keep sharp objects out of the sink area. And even if there were a mishap, the liner is pretty thick at 40 mil. It took a fresh utility knife blade to cut the material to size. The sink sees heavy use, as it’s where I process my panoramic negatives and prints, so I’m sloshing around 2-8 liters of chemistry with each step in either my 6’ processing tube or 12x72 trays.

 

[ic-racer]

I like this. As much as I want to build my own custom monstrosity, I can really see the practicality of a countertop. I can't recall seeing white laminate off the shelf recently, just horrible faux granite patterns.

I got my countertops and the unassembled cabinets at Home Depot back in 2001.

 

[kingbuzzie]

I had to compromise since it is also the laundry room. A stainless kitchen sink from IKEA. Large enough for 11x14. I also have a larger tray I can use a Kodak syphon into the sink. Looking back, I would prefer a large stainless darkroom sink as my wife is fine folding clothes in a dry sink / tray.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Here's my frugal sink.

It's 8 feet long and 32 inches wide on the inside. The back, front, and left vertical pieces, as well as the full length shelf at the back came from the same 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch plywood.

There is no running water into it, but is open on the right side (just past the 21x26 tray) and can drain into a large sink/tub if a major mishap/spillage occurs. The laundry sink to the right is where the water lines and drain pipe are located.

It's glued & screwed together, has paintable caulking on the inside seams, was painted with garage floor paint, and sits atop some kitchen cabinets which bring it to a good working height and provide storage.

(The mats with wires are plant germination heating pads which keep trays of chemicals at working temperature while the temperature in the basement located darkroom stays comfortably cool).

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Here’s another inexpensive approach. For my darkgarage sink, I converted a homemade 7-foot workbench by adding sidewalls from leftover 1x6 lumber, drilling an hole for a drain, and lining it with PVC shower pan liner. The exposed wood was painted with some leftover porch paint. The oak corner trim covers where the PVC liner is stapled along the upper edge and was finished with some leftover spar urethane from another project. My thinking is that if the liner needs to be replaced, I can remove the corner trim, pull the staples and drain, and replace the PVC liner. My cost for the liner, trim, and drain was just under $100. I later added a couple of shelves on the left side of the backsplash and picked up some plastic grid and PVC lattice strips to make a sort of inexpensive duckboard along the bottom.

My favourite detail is the sign at top left

 

[Old_Dick]

Here’s another inexpensive approach. For my darkgarage sink, I converted a homemade 7-foot workbench by adding sidewalls from leftover 1x6 lumber, drilling an hole for a drain, and lining it with PVC shower pan liner. The exposed wood was painted with some leftover porch paint. The oak corner trim covers where the PVC liner is stapled along the upper edge and was finished with some leftover spar urethane from another project. My thinking is that if the liner needs to be replaced, I can remove the corner trim, pull the staples and drain, and replace the PVC liner. My cost for the liner, trim, and drain was just under $100. I later added a couple of shelves on the left side of the backsplash and picked up some plastic grid and PVC lattice strips to make a sort of inexpensive duckboard along the bottom.

Good safety record.

 

[MTGseattle]

I have a couple of vintage "hard hat area" signs. They should see darkroom use at some point.

 

[Nokton48]

Two 1 Gallon SS 8x10 Deep Tanks Combiplan System 10 Liter Deep Tanks 8x10 Kodak Siphon Wash by Nokton48, on Flickr

Two stainless steel 1 Gallon 8x10 Deep Tanks with Floating Lids. Complete Combiplan Mini-Basket Line 4x5, Two 10 Liter 8x10 Tanks plus Wash. Kodak Siphon and Patterson 11x14 good for washing RC prints. Looking forward to start using this more.

70mm Kodak Surveillance 60 exp ADOX Borax MQ 11 min 21C by Nokton48, on Flickr

60 exposures on one roll. 70mm Kodak Surveillance film about shot at about EI 250. ADOX BORAX MQ 11 1/2 mins 21C. Kindermann 70mm tank and reel WOW it's heavy. SSSLLLOOOWWW to fill and dump, you have to tilt the tank at a 45 to fill it or it just blows all over. And balance a one gallon brown glass bottle at the same time. Not fun! I cut these into strips of twelve to dry. Then into VueAll 70mm plastic print pages or those 120 pages from the UK also fit perfectly

 

[mshchem]

Two 1 Gallon SS 8x10 Deep Tanks Combiplan System 10 Liter Deep Tanks 8x10 Kodak Siphon Wash by Nokton48, on Flickr

Two stainless steel 1 Gallon 8x10 Deep Tanks with Floating Lids. Complete Combiplan Mini-Basket Line 4x5, Two 10 Liter 8x10 Tanks plus Wash. Kodak Siphon and Patterson 11x14 good for washing RC prints. Looking forward to start using this more.

70mm Kodak Surveillance 60 exp ADOX Borax MQ 11 min 21C by Nokton48, on Flickr

60 exposures on one roll. 70mm Kodak Surveillance film about shot at about EI 250. ADOX BORAX MQ 11 1/2 mins 21C. Kindermann 70mm tank and reel WOW it's heavy. SSSLLLOOOWWW to fill and dump, you have to tilt the tank at a 45 to fill it or it just blows all over. And balance a one gallon brown glass bottle at the same time. Not fun! I cut these into strips of twelve to dry. Then into VueAll 70mm plastic print pages or those 120 pages from the UK also fit perfectly

Love It!